Seven Champagnes to Savour this Christmas

We don’t think there’s a better excuse than the festive season to pop open a bottle of Champagne. A region steeped in history, Champagne offers a truly special drinking experience when it comes to bubbles, and for a bottle to be classed as ‘Champagne’, it must come from the beautiful region of France with the same name.

It’s not just about the idyllic, verdant and rolling landscape, though. The wine-making process must also be méthode champenoise, in which the wine undergoes two fermentations: the first in oak, or in some cases a steel tank, and the second in bottle. This second fermentation, which continues until a bottle of Champagne is opened, is responsible for the delightfully small bubbles, and as a result other sparkling wines from around the world are produced using this method. Grape varieties also play a part here and Champagne must be made exclusively from Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay grapes, whether that be a single variety or a blend. Blanc de Blancs is made from 100 per cent Chardonnay grapes whereas Blanc de Noirs must be 100 per cent Pinot (the black skins of the grapes have no contact with the wine hence its clear colour). A vintage Champagne is created with the harvest of specific year, while non-vintage (NV) Champagne has been produced with a blend of vintages from different years.

Read on for a hand-picked selection of some of our festive favourites…

Pol Roger

The perfect bottle for a white Christmas? We love Pol Roger’s elegant labels, with their white, black and gold design. Founded over 160 years ago, Pol Roger continues to be a classic choice when it comes to Champagne and was served at the Royal wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in 2018. 

The Brut Réserve is Pol Roger’s definitive House style, composed of thirty still base wines selected from at least two vintages, with a blend of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier in equal quantities. The result is a complex Champagne that offers aromas of white flowers, green apple and brioche with stone fruits, honey and a delightful nuttiness on the palate. We also love that this Champagne comes in a half bottle format, making the perfect festive apéritif for two.

Jacquart

Jacquart’s Champagne Mosaïque Signature won Gold at this year’s Decanter World Wine Awards and it’s not hard to see why: a non-vintage Champagne, it is only disgorged after a full five years of maturation, meaning the bubbles are mellowed and perfected. Made only from white grapes, Jacquart’s vintage Blanc de Blancs Champagne has been “finely chiselled from the top growths to capture the quintessential qualities of an outstanding vintage in bottle”. Offering a toasty nuttiness with notes of Bramley apple, it makes a truly fantastic pairing with cream cheese and smoked salmon. Finally, we also love that Jaquart’s Champagne Brut Mosaïque, with a palate of spiced bread and fruit, comes in magnum format – perfect for those festive family get-togethers!

Taittinger

The Taittinger family has managed the Champagne House for nearly a century and it is one of the last to remain independent. Run today by Pierre-Emmanuel Taittinger along with his daughter Vitalie and son Clovis, they continue to offer incredible bottles for any special occasion. Opt for the Brut Réserve for a sophisticated Champagne with notes of peach and acacia on the nose and a citrus-fresh yet delicately honeyed palate with a beautiful, elegant finish; or choose Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs for the ultimate Champagne experience. Elegant, creamy and complex with notes of bread, ripe fruit and nuts, this is a bottle to remember and makes a fabulous choice for Christmas Day.

Ruinart

The very first Champagne House, Ruinart was founded 290 years ago in 1729. Each harvest has a unique profile, dependent on the climate, the ripening of the berries, and the terroir of each vineyard. With its elegance and aromatic freshness, Chardonnay is the grape variety at the heart of this House’s cuvees and Ruinart’s Champagne Blanc de Blancs is 100 per cent Chardonnay; a pale golden yellow with notes of citrus, nectarine and pineapple offering a rounded palate that pairs deliciously with shellfish or seared Dover Sole. This Ruinart’s Champagne Rosé also makes a fantastically festive option. A delicate pomegranate pink hue, it has notes of raspberries and strawberries with hints of rose petal on the nose. A wonderful Champagne to sip pre-feast!

Perrier-Jouët

Perrier-Jouët is renowned worldwide for its unique and beautiful Belle Époque bottle designs and sumptuous Champagne that sings on the palate, transporting the drinker to this hedonistic era. We love Perrier-Jouët’s Champagne Grand Brut with lively bubbles and a luxuriously rich palate of buttered brioche. Or for a something truly special, choose this House’s Champagne Belle Époque Rosé; with a gorgeous bottle adorned with their traditional array of flowers and a palate of strawberries, brioche and toasted nuts, it makes a magnificent apéritif or a wonderful pairing with tempura, lightly smoked salmon or creamy cheeses.

Moët & Chandon

Moët & Chandon has been making Champagne for almost three centuries and continues to exude glamour with famous faces – such as tennis champion Roger Federer – putting their name to the label. Moët & Chandon’s Brut Impérial was created in 1869 and embodies their House style. Pinot Noir offers intensity, Pinot Meunier lends roundness, and Chardonnay gives elegance, resulting in a vibrant Champagne with a nose of green apples and citrus paired with a palate of brioche and nuts. Praised as “very rewarding” by wine legend Jancis Robinson, their 2008 Grand Vintage makes a fantastic festive treat with notes of lemon peel, butter pastry and white flowers. We love that this bottle also comes as part of a Champagne Impérial Brut, Rosé and Grand Vintage pack, meaning you can taste all three and compare the different cuvées from this classic producer. A pretty good pastime for Christmas Day, we think!

Laurent-Perrier

The House of Laurent-Perrier was founded in 1812 and is renowned worldwide today for its fresh, light and elegant Champagne. The estate features the picturesque village ofTours-sur-Marne, ideally situated at the crossroads of the three main wine growing areas of the Marne département: the Montagne de Reims, the Vallée de la Marne and the Côte des Blancs, and is part of the seventeen Champagne villages ranking in the prestigious ‘Grand Cru’ area. Laurent-Perrier’s signature Champagne La Cuvée is a mature style of non-vintage champagne with hints of citrus fruit along with a well-balanced palate (which, we are thrilled to say, also comes in magnum format!) and makes a fantastic festive treat that is deliciously fresh and easy to drink. For the pink devotees, Laurent-Perrier’s Champagne Cuvée Rosé is a pale cherry red with soft bubbles and luxurious notes of strawberry and raspberry.